Research Paper on Sociology: Mate Selection

Relationships today are occurring due to different reasons. Some people meet up at social gatherings and end up loving people who share the same interests as they do. Others meet through friends or family at events and later become friends which later progresses to a relationship. There also are couples who end loving each other the first time they meet while others take time before getting into a serious relationship (Ballantine and Keith, p. 361). Some believe cupids arrow works within todays society however various social factors are considered during mate selection process. The past, present and anticipated future experiences in a relationship also play a role in the choice of a mate.

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Social factors

Cupids Arrow strives to show the power of love and how much it can control even the strongest people in the society. It is a phrase from Apollos love for Daphne after Cupid struck them with arrows. Apollo could not control his love for Daphne which is an indication that people in love find it hard to control their strong attraction to the person they love. People have to undergo the mate selection process before getting into a relationship. People focus on the personalities of potential spouses to determine if they like them. Some of the people opt to have people who are outgoing and futuristic while others search for religious people and entrepreneurs. The personality of a person highly influences the decision of a person when choosing a mate.

People focus on having mates whose ages match. People focus on an age gap of 4 to 7 years with the people they want to date. People older or too young from the age bracket a person may want ends up as a preferable mate. On the other hand, people focus more on the future, and most people want a person who is financially stable, or if not due to factors such as age and school, one should be visionary and focused on building the career or business of his or her choice. The mate is expected to have the right goals to enable the couple to have a successful life together In the past, the issue was more common from ladies to men, but today both parties are expected to be focused on life and be independent. Additionally, people focus on meeting people within the same socioeconomic status as they are. People within a similar socioeconomic status easily understand each others behaviors as they have grown up and lived people behaving similarly on their spending rates and living standards. Very few people manage to find long-term mates when both parties are in different social classes due to misunderstandings and finding it comfortable to fit in a different lifestyle than they are used to.

Own relationships

Most people have engaged in relationships as they grow up with the attempt to find a suitable mate who will help them grow together and hopefully turn out to be their lifetime partner. My past relationship was a lady I met in high school. We managed to stay together for two years and later parted when she claimed that she wanted time to focus on her education first. Some of the social factors that led to her selection were her love for charity and being from a middle income earning family made it better as we both had similar joints we loved hanging out at.

In college, I have managed to meet another lady who is in the same year as I am. She is one of the most vibrant ladies in college leadership and has enabled me to realize my strengths and overcome my weaknesses to achieve my goals. The social factors leading to her selection were her focus on the future and determination to succeed in life. On the other hand, she has been a helpful mate focusing on improving ones life. In the future, I would hope to have a supportive mate helping out on the family businesses and focused on ensuring there is love and progress within the family. I am focused on having a mate ready to support my goals and contribute to the success of the businesses I set up. I would also like an innovative person who offers ideas to every activity we undertake as a couple for our growth.

Patterns

There are some patterns common to the people I date. I end up meeting people interested in leadership and who are innovative. The ladies are also business-minded and ready to enable me actualize the ideas one has into reality. They have been supportive through improving ones weaknesses as well as enabling me to understand my strengths and maximizing them. They also have futuristic and aim high achievements in the future.

Sociological terms

Humans prefer situations that offer them the best short and long term outcomes. In a relationship, for instance, people will find relationships that offer them a mate with same values and beliefs as they have, social approval and conformity to norms (Starbuck and Karen, p. 224). Rewards are therefore the determinants of why one will choose one person over another as their mate. On the other hand, the relationship should offer one more benefits than the losses one will experience with the mate. It is, therefore, an exchange between the two parties more like a business transaction.

Works Cited

Ballantine, Jeanne H., and Keith A. Roberts, eds. Our social world: Introduction to sociology. Pine forge press, 2008.

Starbuck, Gene H., and Karen Saucier Lundy. Families in Context: Sociological Perspectives. Routledge, 2015.